SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Ousted Third Eye Blind guitarist Kevin Cadogan is
suing his former bandmates, accusing them of conspiring to kick him out of
the group that had a huge hit with the song "Semi-Charmed Life" in 1997.

The lawsuit, which will be the subject of a hearing by an Oakland,
California, judge Friday, alleges breach of contract and fraud, lawyers
said.

Cadogan, 30, shared writing credits on 10 of the 14 songs on the group''s
self-titled first album and six songs from its second release, "Blue." But
he was fired from the band in January after a performance at the Sundance
Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Cadogan''s suit alleges the band, led by founder Stephan Jenkins, tried to
minimize Cadogan''s role in producing "Blue" and conspired "in a carefully
orchestrated plot to unlawfully exploit his intellectual property."

Stephen Kroft, an attorney for the band, said the suit was without merit.
"My clients don''t believe there is any validity to any of Mr. Cadogan''s
claims," Kroft told Wednesday''s San Francisco Chronicle.